Deputy Speaker, hon President, we are a nation in pain, badly in need of healing. It is at times like these that we need strong leadership to guide us to a better future. We need leadership that does not shy away from confronting our difficult issues, but rather faces them head- on, through asking some tough questions of ourselves.
It is too easy to express outrage and set up commissions without questioning how our own words and deeds have contributed to the deplorable state of gender relations in South Africa. I dream of a South Africa where women's choices are truly respected, whether it be over their bodies, their sexuality or even their marital status.
We need to understand that patriarchy is given oxygen in this country through male leaders reinforcing the destructive attitudes and actions of our people that oppress women in so many different ways. This is not an easy conversation to have, but it is time for us, as men, to stop feigning outrage at the actions of others who are not doing anything to change the attitudes and conditions that provide the breeding ground for them to thrive.
It is also deplorable that organisations like Rape Crisis, which are in the frontline of dealing with this scourge, have to depend on the donations of the public, while the line-function Minister spends a third of their annual budget on furniture.
When it comes to the economy, it is clear that the private sector, both here and abroad, are not willing to invest unless they are provided with far greater political certainty. This is evidenced by foreign direct investment in South Africa experiencing a 44% decline last year. According to the latest Grant Thornton study only 26% of South African businesses intend to hire workers next year, which is far below the 38% average for the other Bric countries, Brazil, India and China.
Our energy sector is also holding our country's growth to ransom through a dangerous lack of supply and completely unaffordable electricity price increases. Hon Minister Gigaba, your New Build Programme is not driving down the cost of doing business. On the contrary, it is increasing it, as evidenced by the major cost and time overruns at Medupi, due to inefficiencies and the favouring of a company that is funnelling their profits to the ANC.
In your address, hon President, you rightfully talked up the National Development Plan, NDP, but I am yet to see any evidence of it when it comes to electricity planning. Despite it calling for a financial feasibility study to be done urgently into the proposed nuclear build programme, none has even been started.
The Plan B that is called for in the NDP is nowhere to be seen and it seems that this government is content to stifle any debate over a programme that has the potential to bankrupt our fiscus and indebt our future generations. The National Development Plan will ultimately mean nothing unless you have the political will to implement its provisions, especially those that challenge the status quo. I will continue to fight for just that. I thank you. [Applause.]